Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

4. It would make us patient under Gods hand. His slowness to Anger and his forbearance is visible, in the very strokes we feel in this Life. We have no reason to murmur against him, who gives us so little cause, and in the greatest afflictions gives us more occasion of thankfulness, than of repining. Did not slowness to the extremest Anger, moderate every affliction, it had been a Scorpion instead of a rod. We have reason to bless him, who from his long-suffering sends temporal sufferings, where eternal are justly due. Ezra 9.13. Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities do deserve. His indulgences towards us have been more than our corrections, and the length of his patience hath exceeded the sharpness of his rod, Upon the account of his long-suffering our mutinies against God have as little to excuse them, as our sins against him have to deserve his forbearance.

4. It would make us patient under Gods hand. His slowness to Anger and his forbearance is visible, in the very strokes we feel in this Life. We have no reason to murmur against him, who gives us so little cause, and in the greatest afflictions gives us more occasion of thankfulness, than of repining. Did not slowness to the extreamest Anger, moderate every affliction, it had been a Scorpion instead of a rod. We have reason to bless him, who from his long-suffering sends temporal sufferings, where eternal are justly due. Ezra 9.13. Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities do deserve. His indulgences towards us have been more than our corrections, and the length of his patience hath exceeded the sharpness of his rod, Upon the account of his long-suffering our mutinies against God have as little to excuse them, as our sins against him have to deserve his forbearance.

The consideration of this would show us more reason, to repine at our own repinings, than at any of his smarter dealings. And the consideration of this would make us submissive, under the Judgments we expect. His undeserved patience hath been more than our merited judgments can possibly be thought to be. If we fear the removal of the Gospel for a season, as we have reason to do, we should rather bless him, that by his waiting patience, he hath continued it so long,